Air inlet device for internal combustion motors



May 29, 1934. MALLORY 1,961,062

AIR INLET DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Filed April 10, 1931 Fig.1 m

Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR INLET DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Delaware Application April 10, 1931, Serial No. 529,012

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an air inlet device for internal combustion motors, and its object is to provide an inlet valve, between the throttle valve and the cylinders, which is automatically operable to increase the relative amount of air taken into the cylinders under certain predetermined conditions which are dependent upon the speed of operation, whether it is increasing or decreasing, the relative amount of load, or the positions of the throttle valve and brake pedal.

Under a light load, for instance, the motor may operate at considerable speed with the throttle nearly closed. In the usual motor, this increases the degree of vacuum in the manifold, causing 1 a considerable amount of gas to be drawn in through the opening usually provided to permit,

idling of the motor, without sufficient air supply under such conditions to form a proper mixture.

Such a condition may occur in an automobile motor when the automobile is traveling down a grade or when it is traveling at high speed and the throttle is suddenly closed to slacken the speed. Under such conditions, according to the present invention, air is automatically admitted through a vacuum controlled air inlet valve, to reduce the vacuum in the manifold and at the same time to cause an increase in the compression in the cylinders. Provision may be made, however, to cut off the vacuum from this air inlet valve and permit it to close as soon as the speed of the motor, with the throttle closed, drops below a predetermined point.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cut-off means is adapted to be operated by a solenoid under control of a centrifugal governor. However, means may be connected to the throttle for mechanically controlling the operation of the cut-oil between the air inlet valve and the port in manifold through which the vacuum control is applied. Also, means may be connected with the brake pedal for cutting off the vacuum control of the air inlet valve whenever the brake is applied.

The invention in its present embodiment will be more particularly described in connection with the. accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the conventional parts of a motor with an air inlet valve in accordance with the invention and having a throttle controlled connection.

Figure 2 is a partially diagrammatic view of the air inlet valve and the means for controlling the same, including a' solenoid valve; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Asillustrated in the drawing the invention is associated with an internal combustion motor 5 in connection with which there is a distributor 6, brake pedal 7, intake manifold 8, carburetor 9 and a throttle valve 10, which has a control lever 11 connected through a rod 12 and lever 13 with the foot accelerator 14.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the device for admitting air directly into the manifold 8, under certain conditions, includes a valve housing 15 in the form of a cylinder having heads 16 and 17. Within the cylinder 15 is a valve 18 in the form of a plunger which is normally held against a seat 19, formed on the head 17, by means of a compression spring 20 having a seat 21 adapted to be adjusted by a thumb screw 22 mounted in the head 16.

The upper part of the cylinder 15 above the plunger 18 is connected through a fitting 23 and pipe 24 to the intake manifold 8. The lower part of the cylinder 15 is connected to the manifold at a distance from the pipe 24, and preferably just above the throttle valve 10, by means of a pipe 25 which is normally closed by the plunger 18, the latter being provided with a circumferential channel 26 to prevent binding of the plunger under the influence of vacuum in the manifold. i

The fitting 23 is provided with a valve 27 which constitutes the core of a solenoid 28 secured to the side of the fitting. When the solenoid is deenergized, the valve 27 is held in raised or open position by means of a spring 29 which bears against the head 30 of the valve. Whenever the valve 27 is open and there occurs a predetermined vacuum in the manifold 8, the suction through the pipe 24 and the upper part of the cylinder 15 raises the plunger 18 to uncover the inlet to the pipe 25. Air is then admitted through the port 31 in the head 17 and through the pipe 25 to relieve the vacuum in the manifold.

The distributor shaft 32 has a plate 33 secured thereon which carries a centrifugal governor 34" for controlling the timing of the spark according to the speed of operation of the motor, as explained in my copending application Serial No. 408,612, filed November 20, 1929. In said application, the plate 33 also carries an idle weight 35 to balance the governor weight 34. In the present invention this idle weight 35 is utilized for controlling the energization of the solenoid 28. For this purpose the shell of the distributor 6 has a terminal 36 secured therein and electrically connected with a ring 37 concentric with the shaft 32 and separated from the is secured to the weight 35 and normally contacts with the ring 37 until the motor attains sufiicient speed to move the weight 35 outwardly by centrifugal force to break the contact.

One terminal of the solenoid '28 is connected by a conductor 40 to the terminal 36, while the other terminal of the solenoid is connected by a conductor 41 to the ignition circuit and through the ignition switch 42 to the battery 43. Whenever the ignition switch 42 is closed, and the motor traveling below a predetermined speed, the

current passes from the battery 43 through switch 42, conductor 41,solenoid 28, conductor 40, ring 37, brush 39, weight 35 and thence through ground back to the negative terminal of the battery. It will,-therefore, be seen that when the car is traveling below a predetermined speed, the solenoid 28 will be energized-to close the valve 27 and thus render the air inlet valve 18 inoperative. When the car is traveling above a predetermined speed, however, centrifugal force acting on the weight 35 will interrupt the circuit through the solenoid 28 permitting the spring 29 to open the valve 27. Under such conditions, whenever the vacuum in the manifold 8 increases to a predetermined degree, as for example, when the throttle valve is closed with the car still traveling above a predetermined speed, the valve 18 will be lifted and air will be admitted through the pipe 25 to the manifold. This conserves gas by reducing the amount drawn through the opening which is provided for idling of the motor and also increases the compression in the cylinders. It also adds air to form a better fuel mixture under the conditions stated. This also has the same effect as free wheeling since it relieves to a considerable extent the braking action exerted by the motor under such conditions. For example, a high vacuum in the manifold offers great resistance to the movement of the piston upon the intake stroke. This resistance is to a large extent relieved by the admission of air through the pipe 25. The increase of the compression in the cylinders does not result in any material braking effect since it is compensated for by the expansive action on the return stroke.

In the adaptation of the invention as shown in Fig. 1, the lever 13 is provided with an arm 44 which is connected by a rod 45 to the bell crank 46. The spring held valve 47 is similar to the valve 27 and, like the valve 27, is normally closed when the motor is idling. When the accelerator is actuated to open the throttle, the bell crank 46 engages and opens the valve 4'1, so that the air inlet valve 18 is controlled by pressure conditions in the manifold and is opened when the motor attains a predetermined speed. But when the car is coasting or being decelerated, the accelerator is released to close, the throttle, so that the valve 47 and consequently the air inlet valve 18 are closed.

Provision is also made to out out the operation of the air inlet valve, thus preventing the free wheeling effect, when the brake is applied to reduce the speed or stop the car. For this purpose a switch 48 is secured beneath the brake pedal '1 and has an insulated fixed contact 49 connected by a conductor 50 to the conductor 40 leading from the solenoid. The movable contact 51 of the switch 48 has a spring held stem 52 which is adapted to be depressed to close the switch whenever the brake pedal '7 is depressed to apply the brakes. This grounds the negative terminal of the solenoid and causes the latter to 1,861,062 distributor shell by insulation 38. A brush 39 be energized regardless of the position of the governor weight 35. This causes the valve 27 to be closed immediately when the brake is applied.

Attempts have heretofore been made to relieve excessive vacuum in the intake manifold by providing a single air inlet port covered by a springheld valve, but results have been unsatisfactory because, in these earlier constructions, no provision is made for controlling the operation of the valve under varying conditions, except directly by the vacuum itself. Also, as soon as a puif of air is admitted, it relieves the vacuum in the immediate vicinity of the valve and allows it i to close. This causes a fluttering of the valve which is accentuated by the pulsations of the motor.

By the present construction, however, there are two inlets between the throttle and the cylinders of the motor, one inlet being for the purpose of controlling the valve 18 in accordance with the degree of vacuum in the manifold, whenever the valve 27 is open, and the otherinlet being to admit air to relieve the vacuum. These inlets are far enough apart so that there is an appreciable difference in pressure between them, which has a tendency to steady the air controlled valve 18.

The valve 18 also may be made heavy enough so that its own inertia will to a large extent overcome any tendency to flutter, particularly at low speed, that is, when the pulsations of the motor are of comparatively low frequency. A bleed hole 53 may also be provided in the cylinder 15 just above the valve 18 when the latter is completely closed. This will relieve the vacuum in the manifold to some extent and reduce the effect of the pulsations on the valve at low speed; but at high speed, when the valve 27 is open, the rapid pulsations will overcome the leakage through the hole 53 and the valve 18 will close the same and will then be quickly raised higher. This reduces the fluttering of the valve 18 to a minimum and prevents it from rising when the motor is idling.

While I have shown and described variousspecific'means affecting the control of the air inlet valve under different conditions, it will be apparent that other modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and that the said means may be incorporated and used selectively or collectively.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, an inlet manifold having two ports at a distance from each other, a valve shiftable by suction through one of said ports to admit air to the mainfold through the other port, a solenoid 130 valve controlling communication between the first mentioned valve and the port through which suction is exerted to shift it, and electrical controlling means including a switch dependent upon the speed of the motor to close the circuit for 135 closing said solenoid valve only when the operation of the motor is below a predetermined speed.

2. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, an inlet manifold having two, ports v at a distance from each other, a valve shiftable by sucton through one of said ports to admit air to the manifold through the other port, a brake lever, and means cooperating with the brake lever to prevent the shifting of said valve to admit air while the brake is applied.

by suction through one or said ports to admit air to the manifold through the other port, a brake lever, and means cooperating with the brake lever to close communication between the valve and the port through which the valve opening suction is exerted, whenever the brake is applied.

4. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, an inlet manifold having two ports at a distance from each other, a valve shiftable by suction through one of said ports to admit air to the manifold through the other port, a solenoid valve controlling communication between the first mentioned valve and the port through which suction is exerted to shift it, a brake lever, and electrical means controlled by the operation of said lever to close said solenoid valve whenever the brake is applied.

5. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, means including a valve operable by a predetermined degree of vacuum in the intake between the carburetor and the motor to admit air thereto, and electrically actuated means including a circuit with a switch which is closed to prevent actionof the vacuum on said valve only when the motor operation is below a predetermined speed.

6. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, means including a valve operable by a predetermined degree of vacuum in the intake between the carburetor and the motor to admit air thereto, a solenoid valve efl'ective, when closed, to cut 01! the actionof the vacuum on said first mentioned valve, and electrical controlling means dependent upon the speed of the motor and including a circuit with a switch actuated to close said solenoid valve only when the operation of the motor is below a predetermined speed.

7. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, means including a valve operable by a predetermined degree of vacuum in the intake between the carburetor and the motor to admit air thereto, a brake lever, and means cooperating with the brake lever to cut off the action of the vacuum on said valve whenever the brake is applied.

8. In an internal combustion motor having a carburetor, means including a valve operable by a predetermined degree of vacuum in the intake between the carburetor and the motor to admit air thereto, a solenoid valve effective, when closed, to cut off the action of the vacuum on said first mentioned valve, a brake lever, and electrical means controlled by the operation of said brake lever to out 01f the action of the vacuum on said first mentioned valve whenever the brake is applied.

9. In an internal combustion motor having a' the speed of the motor.

MARION MALLORY. 

